Body balancer arch support



Feb. 26, 1957 J. F. SCHIPPER 2,782,532

BODY BALANCER ARCH SUPPORT Filed oct. 11, 195s IN VEN TOR.

L//-M/ MP4/V675 36W/Pfff ATI'D R N EYS 2,782,532 Boor BALANCER ARCH SUPPORT John Francis Schipper, Homestead, Fla.

Application October 11, 1955, Serial No. 539,728

7 Claims. (Cl. 36-71) This invention relates to arch supports of the type adapted to be inserted in shoes and attached to insoles thereof, and in particular a pad patterned to deliver a more comprehensive action, than other similar supports, such as is required in breaking of adhesions in the joints and which, in turn, forces greater muscle action eventually accomplishing the desired result of balanced action of muscles and the realignment of the entire body structure.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved arch supporter wh-ich is designed to lift and force inward the piers of the transverse arch, and at the same time deliver an orthope-dically correct specifically applied physical culture, redeveloping foot and leg muscles as the bones are brought back into normal alignment.

T he body balancer of this invention is an improvement over the arch support of my prior Patent #2,154,597 in that the contacting surface of the support with the foot is extended over a large area whereas the comparatively short area of the support of the patent proved to be almost intolerable during the readjustment period because of the severity of the corrective action. With this thought in mind the improved support of this invention is extended to distribute the load over a greater4 area so that the treatment is continuous and without effort on the part of the wearer; and after correction is obtained the device provides a shock absorber and guards against letdown due to occupational stresses.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an improved body balancing arch support which is ortho- Ipedically correct because it is designed to deliver and maintain the required specifically applied physical culture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a body balancing arch supporter that is adapted to correct the cause of sciatica, lumbago and other ailments resulting from `stresses on the nerves and general body musculat-ion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an orthopedically correct instrument which is adapted to correct malaligned boney structure, no-t only of the foot and leg but also extending for correction of the pelvic and spinal alignment in which the support is of simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a body balancer having a narrow intermediate portion with an extended heel portion and an outwardly flared forward portion extended into the instep and in which the thickness is increased in the heel and forward portions providing a cavity in the under surface of the intermediate portion.

`Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the body balancer illustrating the position of the device in a shoe with the shoe and also the bone structure of a foot therein indicated in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the body balancer showing the device with the parts extended.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section throughthe device taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. A

Figure 4 is a cross section through'the intermediate part of the device also illustrating the position of the body lbalancer in a shoe, the shoe being shown in broken lines.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the intermediate part of the balancer' taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved body balancer of this invention includes a pad of resilient material having a narrow and relatively'thin intermediate portion 10, a heel portion 11 of greater width and thickness than the intermediate portion 10 and a forward or transverse arch portion 12 which is of greater width and thickness than the heel portion 11.

As illustrated in Figure 2 the intermediate portion 10 extends from a point 13 to a point 14 laterally ofthe support, the heel portion 11, from a point 15 to a point 16, and the portion 12 from a p-oint 17 to a point 18 and with the portion 12 of greater thickness than the inte-rmediate portion 10 and the heel portion 11 a recess 19 is provided in the under surface wherein with the pad positioned in a shoe, as illustrated in Figure l the recess 19 increases the resiliency of the intermediate part of the support wit-h the heel portion 11 resting upon vthe insole an-d upon the heel of the shoe and with the forward 'portion 12 also resting upon the insole and positioned in the instep metatarsal portion of the foot.

The device is secured to an insole, as indicated by the numeral 20 with a suitable adhesive and with `the body balancer in position edges 21 a-nd 22 extend upwardly against inner surfaces of the sides of the upper 23.

With the body balancer formed and installed in this manner a comprehensive action, such as is required in breaking adhesions of joints and which, in turn, forces greater muscle action, is obtained, the combination eventually accomplishing the desired result of balanced action of muscles and the realignment of the body structure. Instead of concentrating the action at one point, Asuch as the transverse arch the treatment is extended :over a wide area an-d the nal result-s accomplished without effort on the part of the wearer. After the correction of 'the muscles and body structure 4the device remains in position providing a shock absorber and also a guard against reoccurence `of the original condition due to occupational stresses.

It will be understood that modifications, within the Scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lWhat -is claimed is:

l. A body balancer comprising a pad of resilient material to be positioned under and confined t-o -that `area of the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of the heel bone and partially under the metatarsal section of a human foot, said pad having a narrow intermediate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion, and a forward portion also of greater width than the intermediate portion, the edges of said forward portion and said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate porti-on being concave in forma-tion.

2. A body balancer comprising a pad of resilient malterial to be positioned under and conned to that area of the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of the heel bone and partially under lthe metatarsal section of a human foot, said pad having a narrow intermediate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion, and a forward portion of greater width than the heel portion, said pad having a transversely positioned recess in fthe under surface, the edges of said forward portion and said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

3. A body balancer comprising a pad of resilient material to be positioned under and confined to that area of 'the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of the heel bone and partially under the metatarsal section of a human foot, said pad having a narrow intermediate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion, and a forward portion of greater w-idth ythan the Iheel portion, the heel portion of said pad having greater thickness than the intermediate portion and t-he forward portion having greater thickness than the heel portion, the edges of said forward portion and said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

4. A body balancer comprising a body portion of resilient material having a transversely disposed recess in the under surface and positioned under area usually designated the instep of -a human foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid the forward edge portion of `the heel bone and the rear edge portion of the metatarsal section of a human foot between the heel and forward portions of the body, and said body portion being of greater width than that of a shoe in which it is adapted to be positioned, whereby edges thereof extend upwardly, the edges of said for- A ward portion and said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

5. In a body balancer, the combination which comprises a pad of resilient material to be positioned under and confined to that area of the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle `and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of the heel bone and partially under the metatarsal section of a human foot having a narrow interme diate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion and a forward portion of greater width than the heel portion, the heel portion being of greater thickness than the intermediate portion and the forward portion being of greater thickness than the heel portion providing a transversely positioned recess in the under surface, the edges of said forward portion and `said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

6. In a body balancer, the combination which comprises a pad of resilient material to be positioned under and confined to that area of the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of ythe heel bone and partially under the metatarsal section of a human foot having la narrow intermediate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion and a forward portion of greater width than vthe heel portion, the heel portion being of greater thickness than the intermediate portion and the forward portion being of greater thickness than the heel portion providing a transversely positioned recess in the under surface, the width of said pad being greater than that of a shoe in which the pad is adapted to be used whereby edges of the pad are extended npwardly against inner surfaces of the upper of the shoe in which the pad is positioned, the edges of said forward portion and said lheel portion being convex in formation and the edges o f 4said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

7. In `a body balancer, the combination which comprises a pad of resilient material to be positioned under and confined -t-o that area of the foot including the cuboid bone, the external, middle and internal cuneiforms, the scaphoid, a portion of the heel bone and partially under the metatarsal section of a human foot having a narrow intermediate portion, a heel portion of greater width than the intermediate portion and a forward portion of greater Width than the heel portion, the heel portion being of greater thickness than the intermediate portion and the forward portion being of greater thickness than the heel portion providing a transversely positioned recess in the under surface and the side and end porti-ons of the pad being tapered to provide a continuous thin edge, the edges of said forward portion and said heel portion being convex in formation and the edges of said intermediate portion being concave in formation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

